K12 Headlines

6/7/2013

As the next superintendent of the Poughkeepsie City School District, Nicole Williams said she plans to lay the foundation to boosting student achievement by listening to and learning from students, parents, teachers, coaches and community members about their expectations and concerns.

Many elementary students' math performance improves when their teachers collaborate, work in professional learning communities or do both, yet most students don't spend all of their elementary school years in these settings, a new study by UNC Charlotte researchers shows.

An Oakland charter school that has high-achieving students but allegedly engaged in financial improprieties has gone to court to try to keep its doors open. The Oakland school board voted by a narrow 4-3 margin on March 20 to revoke the charter for the American Indian Model Schools, alleging that the school hasn't done enough to rectify financial irregularities that were found in a state audit last year.

Chicago Public Schools released budgets for individual schools to principals Wednesday and revealed a few more details on how it plans to close a budget gap of nearly $1 billion next year.
Principals for the first time will control the entire budget for their schools.

Community colleges say their incoming students often aren't ready to take the courses that could prepare them for good jobs in technical fields. Meanwhile, many students can't see themselves heading to a four-year college after high school, and high schools know their diplomas are no longer enough to get graduates good jobs. Maybe if students, high schools, community colleges and technology companies worked together, they could get what they need.

Imagine this: You are a 15 year-old standing in front of a school vending machine, getting ready to satisfy the snack craving you've had since first period. But lo and behold, instead of cookies and chips, every one of the slots behind the glass contains the same healthy stuff your mom and dad fill the cabinets with at home. That vision could soon be a nationwide reality, thanks to updated nutrition standards from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

6/6/2013

Now K-8 students around the country can build those skills by reading hundreds of engaging, high quality articles written by some of today’s top journalists through a new collaboration between ReadWorks, the free, proven, research-based Common Core-aligned program, and Narratively, a premium platform devoted to original, in-depth and untold stories.

These annual awards honor students who have overcome significant challenges to build proficiency in reading and math, as well as teachers who go above and beyond on a daily basis to provide their students with every opportunity to improve their skills.

Comsewogue School District in New York’s Suffolk County adopted Follett’s Aspen Student Information System (SIS) because it will not only save taxpayer’s money, but the SIS also will make the jobs of staff and teachers easier while boosting communication with parents.

Based on the success of SDE's annual Administrator Summit in Las Vegas, this one-day, high-intensity Summit brings together an all-star team of educational thought leaders to help K-12 superintendents, principals, assistant principals, and other administrators meet the most pressing challenges they face—right now.

Work on the new athletic campus at Tonawanda High/Middle School is ramping up, but a few homeowners on nearby Adam Street are upset about the impact of the construction on their properties. The residents voiced their complaints to the Tonawanda School Board during a meeting Tuesday night.

The ceremony came after a tumultuous May in which the district laid off its teachers and closed for two weeks when it couldn’t meet payroll. The district reopened after the state agreed to release $400,000 it had withheld to make up for earlier overpayments.﻿